Is Ashley a big Kwan fan?

Ashley was always lovely, now she has her jump timing down and hi confidence. I was wondering what she has had to say about MK, if anything? I sense she is playing by MK's playbook, esp under Frank. This year she used one beloved peice of music MK skated to, Red Violin She also is winning with 3x2 so not pushing it. I also see she skates with about the same speed, does falling leaf and is not pushing her flexibility though she does do biellman which all do now. I think she wants to stay around as long as she can be at or near the top. I see her continuing maybe after Sochi-assuming she gets there and does well. I think if Ashley becomes the consistent skater we have up to Sochi, stays healthy, comparisons will be made.

What do you think? Stylistically, she reminds me of Kwan's skating down to emotive glances. Musicality matters more to her than speed into a 3x3. How does Ashley's layout compare to the great Kwan? Who'd be NC if they skated against each other? I see Ashley learning from Kwan and suspect MK is her fave skater of 6.0 era.

Can anyone see her as the skater that takes MK's mantle to some extent? Who is the better freeskater?

I think the biggest similarity between Ashley and Michelle is their attention to detail. Leave nothing to chance. Take each element as it comes. Never let your focus lapse.

The biggest difference is that Ashley is a late bloomer, while Michelle was a young prodigy. Ashley won her first U.S. championship at age 20. At 20 Michelle won her fifth U.S. championship and her fourth world championship.

Another connection -- Ashley won the 2012 Michelle Kwan Trophy for the most popular U.S. skater among readers of the USFSA's Skating Magazine.

I think Ashley admires both Lipinski and Kwan (and has also learned a lot from following their careers).

Lipinski did serve as a mentor to Ashley when she was being coached by Priscilla Hill. It was prior to 2010 Olympics -- the Olympics that Ashley heartbreakingly missed out on, after which she went through some soul-searching and decision-making.

I think the biggest similarity between Ashley and Michelle is their attention to detail. Leave nothing to chance. Take each element as it comes. Never let your focus lapse.

I agree with this. One difference I see is that the focus Michelle had seemed a bit more effortless, whereas Ashley looks like she is concentrating out there. That may be because Michelle was so accomplished at an early age that it became more natural for her. I almost feel like when Ashley enters a jump she is running through a list through her head of everything she needs to do to have a successful outcome. Regardless, both skaters capture my attention and I think they're wonderful.

I think the biggest similarity between Ashley and Michelle is their attention to detail. Leave nothing to chance. Take each element as it comes. Never let your focus lapse.

The biggest difference is that Ashley is a late bloomer, while Michelle was a young prodigy. Ashley won her first U.S. championship at age 20. At 20 Michelle won her fifth U.S. championship and her fourth world championship.

Another connection -- Ashley won the 2012 Michelle Kwan Trophy for the most popular U.S. skater among readers of the USFSA's Skating Magazine.

Ashley has not only said she admires Michelle, but that she's watched Michelle's programs and tried to learn how Michelle projected and connected to the audience, so that she could incorporate that into her own programs and reach the same level of performance quality. I think I can see this influence in her skating. http://web.icenetwork.com/news/artic...&vkey=ice_news (towards the bottom)

Very interesting interview. I can see she has studied MK. It is obvious, and Katarina. She chose the two who were confident, fearless and flirtatious with the audience. MK was told by Lori to "oooze" and she did. Katarina used her sexuality-all-the-time in her skating. Her beauty and eye contact. Michelle is a smaller Asian beauty, but watch her SP Romanza and see she is flirting and womanly with the costume, the hair. Of course, MK was acting the part of Salome-I think she missed the character, but her skate was perfect. I though, feel Lulu was an exquisite woman, and would have had Kwan in second. But fortune has smiled on MK-her long career-relatively injury free. I can almost hear Nicks saying skate clean, perform the music and you will win with lesser jump content. Julia, who I am very sad for as I hope this is not a nbad concussion (imo, there is no such thing as a mild TBI) but sometimes we hear the worst, so maybe she is ok. I think of two pair skaters who came back all the way from big head trauma, so hopefully, she will be alright for later in season. But Julia is all technique/flexibility. I see LizaT as the true profigy who has amazing technique and is a performer.

So I see what Ashley was subtley saying and I agree. I really like Samson and Delilah, and see a work in progress, but I really loved her sp and lp last year. She influenced Mao Asada, no doubt to be a different swan. Last year V/T were wonderful with the Swan Lake theme.

I think Ashley is finally thinking like MK who may not have showed it-she was so very PC and still is...but she hated to be second. tara used to famously kick the boards. It is interesting how even in sport, women have to seem "nice" even if they are killer competitive. No one wins like kat or MK unless they have killer instinct.

Ashley is reminding me we could have another consistent winner like MK, and I see similarity in their skating. I think she will have to add the 3x3 by worlds. Or maybe she will take the MK route, go safe, be consistent and wait for others to blow it on harder elements. It sure worked for Kostner last year!

I really want Ashley and Akiko to skate lights out at worlds and see these ladies finally get first and second. Because of Akiko's age and overcomer personality, I hope she wins if she brings it. But the intl judges are more with Ashley I sense. If JSF can't get behind Akiko as number one skater, it surely hurts her. I am so torn by many great skaters, but I love Akiko. She is gracious even when under scored. Maybe she should get a little mad, like the Russian ladies. Or Surya! Oh, how nice they must be and pretty and balletic while throwing 3x3's! Double standard still everywhere in this man's world. And this sport especially. She has not been appreciated. A place Ashley was once in. It seems Ashley needed to accept that killer champion persona that all the great champions have. She truly beoieves in herself now. Imagine MK at age 12? going behind Frank's back to take her senior test? That is a very, um, tough kid. Can't use adjective I'd like lol.

Watch her SP Romanza and see she is flirting and womanly with the costume, the hair. Of course, MK was acting the part of Salome-I think she missed the character, but her skate was perfect.

She wasn't portraying Salome in the Romanza program. I think she was just trying to be a Spanish dancer.

Here is Michelle's Salome program. I thought she gave a great interpretation of (one way of looking at) the character. Salome was not a voluptuous seductress. She was a kid who was forced by her mother to perform for a lecherous king in a plot to get revenge on the mother's political enemy, John the Baptist.

Thanks for the youtube link, mathman. I saw Michelle perform both her SP and this one at COI a month before worlds and it was breathtaking. Wasn't she 15 at the time? Her "Salome" pulls me in right from the opening dramatic pose no matter how many times I've watched this program. Lori Nichols did a masterful job creating the choreography for Salome and MK always skated it beautifully (plus during those last few seconds with the music getting very suspenseful, MK skated right into it and what confidence to end the program/music with that TT). What I've seen in Ashley since last season is confidence (same as MK). As a spectator, I'm relaxed (well, almost) watching Ashley perform (same as with MK). I read somewhere, at the beginning of this season, that Ashley has always admired Jill Trenary and I can see some similarity there (posture, use of arms). I don't see any of Tara in Ashley's skating.